Chapter 79. Futility (4)

“I found it!”

The miners of the transport team arrived carrying large boxes.

“In total, seven boxes, confirmed!”

“The contents are all intact!”

Swoosh.

Zhu Hua stood up from her seat.

She could have continued to practice her breathing techniques, but this was not the time for that. Since they said they had found the items, she needed to check them herself.

With Ma Dongfil’s support, she carefully examined each item.

“Fortunately, everything is correct.”

Zhu Hua let out a sigh of relief. Regardless of the process, the assigned task was now complete.

“Load the items onto the carts.”

The miners of the transport team loaded the boxes. There were not many, so they could all fit into two carts.

“Director Zhu, continue your breathing exercises.”

“Yes, I plan to. But...”

Zhu Hua glanced at the hill.

“Go ahead.”

“...?”

“Since the search is over, my protector can assist the miners of the transport team. Third Squad Leader, you need to help the young master, don’t you?”

“...I doubt he needs my help.”

“Still, go.”

“...”

“Are you not the squad leader of the protector corps? You took charge of the transport team’s protection, but we plan to take a short break. Go and do what is required of you.”

Ma Dongfil, who had been quietly watching Zhu Hua, bowed his head.

“Be careful.”

“Don’t worry.”

Crack!

Ma Dongfil dashed up the hill. The cliff was almost vertical, so he had to circle around.

Watching Ma Dongfil’s disappearing back, Zhu Hua sighed again. This time, it was a sigh filled with frustration.

‘Disqualified.’

Go for the young master’s sake?

What a ridiculous idea. All the miners here should have been sent.

But she couldn’t do that. The young master officially had to be considered absent from this place.

And now, she had to explain this to them.

‘He will be fine.’

If she hadn’t seen the young master’s skills, she wouldn’t have been able to think this. Survival comes first, no matter what.

This is why people in positions of authority find it difficult. There are times when they have to lie to their subordinates, even if they don’t want to.

Zhu Hua opened her mouth.

“Miners, gather. I have something to explain.”

* * *

Clang!

The sound of swords clashing was much more dull than before.

“Gah!”

Zheng Yilong staggered back.

“Ugh!”

Xu Liang spat out blood. The shock of the attack also affected his body.

But he didn’t stop. He had no intention of stopping, and he couldn’t.

This fight was a matter of kill or be killed.

Crack!

Xu Liang charged again.

Although he was using the Nine Heavens Earth Spirit Technique, his usual speed was not there. Most of his internal energy had been consumed.

But it was enough. Zheng Yilong, who hadn’t engaged in real combat for a long time and had suffered a severe internal injury after decades, was unable to regain his composure.

Whoosh!

The thirty-jin broadsword cutting through the air was so threatening that it made one’s hair stand on end.

Zheng Yilong ducked his head sharply.

Swoosh!

A clump of hair was cut off and scattered in all directions.

Crack!

The White Crane Sword rising from below.

Although it didn’t carry enough internal energy, it was still very threatening.

The White Crane Sword itself was a rare and precious sword, and the White Crane Sword Technique was one of the ten great sword techniques of the orthodox school, with Zheng Yilong’s enlightenment integrated into it.

But now, his attacks had no effect on Xu Liang.

Boom!

“Gah!”

Zheng Yilong staggered again.

No matter how ingeniously he attacked, he couldn’t block the single sword.

This was a superior technique, the blunt sword controlling the sharp sword, a typical one-over-many variation.

The slow and blunt sword suppressed the fast and agile sword, and a simple movement controlled various changes. Xu Liang was demonstrating this technique perfectly.

‘How...’

Crack!

Zheng Yilong’s head snapped to the side, hit by Xu Liang’s elbow, which didn’t miss the opportunity.

‘How can this young punk...!’

The blunt sword controlling the sharp sword was a superior technique, but not everyone could master it.

Zheng Yilong was a top-notch expert. In the vast continent, he was a rare expert.

He had been away from real combat for a long time and was indeed flustered, but he shouldn’t be at the mercy of a late-stage novice who looked to be in his early thirties. Especially with the blunt sword controlling the sharp sword?

The White Crane Sword Technique, the pinnacle of the Illusory Sword, was fast but lacked power and sharpness.

But for someone of Zheng Yilong’s caliber, this was meaningless.

His abundant internal energy would make up for the lack of power, and his enlightenment would restore the sharpness. Moreover, he had the precious White Crane Sword.

To break through his martial arts with just a thirty-jin broadsword was no easy feat.

‘Could this young punk’s enlightenment surpass mine?!”

Swoosh!

Zheng Yilong’s arm was flung backward.

This time, it was dangerous. The shock of the collision almost dislocated his shoulder. His armor was already torn, and blood was flowing profusely.

Whoosh!

Xu Liang charged again.

His face was pale, almost white, and his nose and mouth were covered in blood. His body, drenched in cold sweat, looked like it could collapse at any moment.

But his eyes still burned like the sun, filled with a mix of emotions: killing intent, anger, madness, and more. It was overwhelming to look at.

Zheng Yilong’s face contorted.

“This punk!”

Crack!

Xu Liang stumbled. He had been hit on the shoulder by Zheng Yilong’s fist.

“Do you know who I am? I am the leader of the Righteous Heaven Alliance...!”

Crack!

“Gah!”

Zheng Yilong’s left shoulder slumped.

It was the same punch, but his shoulder was broken.

It wasn’t a matter of physical strength. Xu Liang had poured all his strength into killing Zheng Yilong, and he was still aware that the battle wasn’t over.

On the other hand, Zheng Yilong couldn’t do that. His panic and surprise fueled his anger, and that anger diminished the protective quality of the White Crane Qi.

It was the difference between a divine skill and a demonic skill, the difference in familiarity with real combat, and ultimately, the difference in fighting spirit.

Xu Liang swung his sword again.

Swoosh!

Zheng Yilong kept retreating. Blood flowed from his torn armor, and his legs were losing strength. His upper body was covered in cuts.

His hands, joints, and skin couldn’t withstand the overwhelming pressure of the sword. Naturally, his White Crane Sword Technique faltered, and the more it faltered, the more injuries he sustained.

How long had it been?

Xu Liang let out a roar.

“Gah!”

Boom!

With a loud noise, the White Crane Sword flew backward and embedded itself neatly in a tree.

After sending the White Crane Sword flying, Xu Liang immediately dropped the broadsword. His muscles had reached their limit, and he couldn’t swing the sword anymore.

Zheng Yilong gritted his teeth and kicked with his right foot.

But before his foot left the ground, he saw a shadow blocking his view.

Crack!

“Gah!”

Zheng Yilong fell backward.

His face was a gruesome sight. His nose was crushed, and one of his cheekbones and an eye socket were caved in.

Not only that, but four of his front teeth were broken and rolling on the ground.

“Y-You... You’re insane!”

He couldn’t even speak properly. No, he was in no condition to speak.

Still, he managed to scream in shock because the attack was too barbaric.

‘A headbutt!’

There were people who practiced Iron Head Technique, training their foreheads to attack with their heads.

But they were usually third-rate ruffians. Real experts wouldn’t use their heads, which were full of vital points, to attack.

Xu Liang, despite his heavy breathing, managed to grin. His face, covered in Zheng Yilong’s blood, looked devilishly cruel.

“Huff! Huff! Kid, you got what you deserved.”

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Xu Liang stomped on Zheng Yilong’s knee.

Crack!

“Gah!”

Zheng Yilong screamed in agony.

His knee was shattered, and his joint was crushed, tearing the cartilage. Even if he recovered his martial arts, he would never be able to use that leg again.

“Huff! Huff! Bastard! Huff! Huff!”

Xu Liang’s body wobbled as he tried to break Zheng Yilong’s other leg.

“Huh? Huh?”

Thud!

“Gah!”

Xu Liang gritted his teeth. In his mad attempt to kill Zheng Yilong, his body had reached its limit.

Without the recovery ability of the Dark Shadow Demon Technique, his muscles would have torn apart by now.

“Gah! Huff! Huff! You, you little punk, wait a bit! Huff! Huff! I’ll cut off your limbs alive!!”

The murderous intent in his voice was no joke.

Zheng Yilong’s heart raced.

He couldn’t see clearly, and one of his legs was broken, but he couldn’t just stay there. If that madman got up, he would surely die.

‘I have to run!’

He shouldn’t have fought like this. He lay flat on the ground.

“Gah.”

Blood foam involuntarily came out of his mouth. Since joining the Righteous Heaven Alliance, no, since he started practicing martial arts, he had never been this injured.

Pain paralyzed his body, and fear froze his mind. He struggled to get away from this place.

Xu Liang gritted his teeth.

“Bastard, where are you trying to go... Gah!”

The pain was excruciating. It felt like his whole body was on fire.

But he wouldn’t yield to the pain.

One of his enemies was writhing on the ground in front of him.

He needed to get up and finish him off!

‘Damn it!’

He couldn’t.

It wasn’t because of the pain, but because it was structurally impossible. If he moved any more, the remaining demonic energy would reverse, and he would fall into a demonic state.

If he failed to kill his opponent and fell into a demonic state, how could he bear the humiliation? Xu Liang gnashed his teeth and glared at Zheng Yilong.

At that moment, Zheng Yilong glanced back. One of his eyes was damaged, but he instinctively tried to check his opponent.

Xu Liang’s eyes flared up.

Zheng Yilong’s one good eye was filled with anger and fear. Seeing that eye, Xu Liang remembered the past when the man had looked down on him with a white smile.

“...I’ll kill you!”

Squeak!

The Dark Shadow Demon Technique, which had been forcibly closed, opened again.

This time, it wasn’t intentional. His anger at breaking his limits had stimulated the demon technique, and the stimulated demon technique had accurately read his emotions.

The demon technique ‘understood’ that to resolve this emotion, he had to kill his opponent in a terrifying way.

Crack!

The hand that touched the ground trembled, but it supported Xu Liang’s body.

Sizzle! Thud!

A thin, smoky mist rose from his body, and blood dripped from his nose.

The Hell Gate Technique unfolded on its own, but there wasn’t enough demonic energy to keep the gate open.

The natural demon technique had no choice but to tap into the source of life, the original essence, to maintain the state.

Zheng Yilong couldn’t help but be amazed by his opponent’s tenacity.

‘Madman!’

He truly couldn’t understand. How could someone he had never met have such deep grudges that he would tap into his original essence to get up?

Xu Liang lifted his head and glared at Zheng Yilong.

Despite his broken body and depleted internal energy, his killing intent was twice as intense as before.

“Gah.”

Zheng Yilong crawled frantically on the ground. It was as slow as a turtle, but the fear of death if he stopped paralyzed his mind.

But it was useless.

Crack! Crack!

“Gah!”

In an instant, he approached and stomped on the broken leg again. Zheng Yilong foamed at the mouth from the indescribable pain.

Drip.

Blood kept flowing from his nose.

He could have lost consciousness from excessive bleeding, but Xu Liang’s expression was filled with relief.

It seemed that the anger rising to his forehead was being relieved by the flowing blood.

At that moment, Ma Dongfil appeared.

“Young Master!”

Xu Liang grinned, seemingly unaware of Ma Dongfil’s presence.

“You should have left me alone.”

He lifted his leg calmly.

His target was Zheng Yilong’s neck.

Crack!